The Us Space, a business incubator company with a digital platform and physical workspace that’s intentionally tailored for women and women-of-color entrepreneurs, officially opened its headquarters at the Niels Esperson Building in downtown Houston in early February.
The Us Space held its grand opening in downtown Houston on Feb. 2. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
What they offer

The company provides a physical space for entrepreneurs to drop in occasionally or make it their dedicated office, and the space has availability for regular meetings, meetups and events. It also provides a community where business owners can network, share resources and further develop their ideas, founder LaGina Harris said.

Joining the network comes at multiple price points and includes day passes as well as virtual and community membership.

Harris highlighted the 24-hour security and garage parking available to members who would frequent the downtown Houston headquarters as its top amenities. Through an ongoing partnership with innovation and entrepreneurship hub The Cannon, The Us Space offers drop-in workspaces at locations across the Houston area as well.

In addition, joining The Us Space comes with a business ideation session with Harris, who is also a mentor for business accelerator organizations, such as Pearland Innovation Hub, The Founder Institute, gBETA Houston, University of Houston’s Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship and Rice University’s Master of Business Administration program.


“While I still have the capacity, it’s still one of my favorite perks. I get to show up and be as good or as cool as the mentors who helped me,” Harris said. “Some of these things are so faux pas it’s cringe to say them, but representation really does matter.”
Vendors and members of The Us Space connected at the grand opening. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
Why it matters

Harris said members don’t have to check a box to belong. She said the purpose of The Us Space is to remove “the mundane obstacles of microaggressions so you can just do business.”

“If you didn’t have to worry about your hair when you walk in a space, or if it is cold, or the type of music, or somebody eyeballing you—or, or, or—what could you do? That’s why this space is here,” Harris said.

Harris said she created this intentional space because it was lacking in the business community. For example, she said some business incubators promote language that is tailored toward white, male millennials, while The Us Space’s language is coded toward communities of color.


“Sometimes it’s just seeing somebody that has a similar business, or looks like you or has an experience that you have had when you're exhausted in business [that keeps you moving forward],” Harris said. “Sometimes you don't want to explain that thing one more time: like why a hair app for Black women is needed, and you just need business advice—that's where I really get happy about what I'm doing.”
The grand opening event features a T-shirt press station, with prints that accentuated the company's tagline. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)